Tragedy for the Holidays
by PInsomn
Summary: Eren/Irvin, Reiner/Armin, and a lot of other pairings. A modern AU where four years ago Eren had been attacked, so brutally that he nearly lost the ability to walk. After recovering as best as he could, he quits physical therapy and moves to Ontario, Canada, where he meets a a town full of all types of characters.
1. A Cripple's Secret

Though the title of this fanfiction is a little dark I promise not all of this story is dark, the majority of it is actually very light - for what I have planned out that is - thought there are some warnings to be told.

Warnings: For future chapters (that will probably be tagged with a warning beforehand), there will be mentions of abuse, violence, gore, homosexual sex/smut. My story is completely fiction and the characters are not mine. Though the plot and growth are. I hope you all enjoy.

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"Eren, this place is so beautiful." Armin said softly, his eyes still trained on the luscious forest as he held the door open to Bert's bar and grill. "You can definitely tell we're not in Atlanta anymore. I have never seen so much flannel and snow since... Since well, never."

"Hey, Man," the giant behind the bar called, "no dogs allowed."

Eren lifted the leash in his hand, which held Sitka in place. "He's a service dog." Eren called back.

The man's tense expression fell away immediately, "Ah, sorry," he said gruffly. The tall brunette motioned to the waitress at the end of the bar, who had stopped filling bowls with popcorn to stare at them. Well, stare at the twenty-four year old with a cane and a service dog, that is. "Sasha, go kick Ymir and Christa out of their booth and give it to these gentlemen."

Eren stepped closer to be heard over the music. "That isn't necessary. We can wait until a table opens up."

"That one just did," the bartender said, his grin making his face look about three years younger than what Eren guessed he was. "I was one second away from telling them to go get a room anyway." He gestured at the waitress skirting the crowded dance floor. "That booth is the farthest from the jukebox, so it'll be easier on your dog's ears."

Eren gave him a grateful smile and headed to the booth that the waitress was unapologetically making available for them, trying to ignore the curious stares at his quite noticeable gimp. He wondered what compelled him to visit the lively little bar his first night in town. He looked back to Armin for reassurance, but his close friend was muttering something about the bartender being so damn tall.

Sitka knocked against his knee a few times, trying to maneuver around the unaware dancers. Several people on the dance floor stopped in surprise, then scrambled to get out of the way to let them pass. So much for not calling attention to themselves, Eren thought with a sigh. But then, the hundred-pound german Shepard at the end of his leash didn't exactly make him and Armin invisible, did he? He gave a smile of thanks to the dancers who'd stopped, but then had to pull Sitka to a halt when another man gyrated backward into their path.

Sitka immediately stepped between Eren and the perceived threat. The man's parner tried dragging the guy out of the way but ended up stumbling into him instead when another dancer bumped into her trying to see what was going on. Eren pulled on Sitka's leash, his command to heel getting lost in the song belting from the jukebox.

He might have succeeded in redirecting Sitka if the man's windmilling arm hand't smacked him in the shoulder hard enough to make her stumble. Apparently deciding his attacker hand't heeded his first warning, Sitka gave an ominous growl and this time used his body to shove the man away.

The panicked guy shot into the crowd, pushing his dancer partner behind his back as he spun around. "Your dog just tried to bite me!" he shouted, incredulous.

"Oh no, sir, I assure you he didn't," Eren said, the last of his words sounding overloud when the song ended. He patted Sitka's head as he sat quietly beside him. "Service dogs are strictly forbidden to bite anyone."

The man pointed at Sitka, completely ignoring his dance partner tugging on his arm. "He sure as hell growled at me."

"No I believe he was coughing up a hairball," Eren said sweetly. He turned and walked to the vacant table, unbuttoning his coat as he slid into the booth. Armin slid into the seat opposite of his own, a small smile perking up the right side of his mouth.

"Coughing up a hairball?" Armin asked with an unhidden giggle towards the end of his question.

"What, I couldn't exactly tell him that if he had continued dancing and battering me that Sitka would've tore a hunk of flesh from his flat ass, now could I?" Eren's own laughter erupted from him as Sitka positioned himself between his legs, beneath the table.

"What's your house special?" He asked the wide-eyed waitress.

"Anything on tap," the woman replied, pulling a pad from her apron and a pencil that was tucked in her messy bun. She gave them a quick once-over, then shrugged. "We carry a couple decent wines, if you don't mind waiting for Bertholdt to hunt down a corkscrew."

"I'll have a scotch." Armin said.

"Make that two." Eren agreed, looking over to Armin who looked past the waitress to the crowded dance floor. The waitress departed from their table, a bounce in her step.

"You know Eren, I didn't expect Ontario to be this... Cold." Armin admitted, trying to rub some warmth back into his fingers. "This place is like a forgotten stack of mountains a hundred miles north of nowhere. For a man who's determined to get his life back, it sure looks to me like you're hiding from it instead."

Eren ran his fingers over his cane and shrugged at Armin's commentary. "It's called baby steps, Armin. This place has a population of less than eight hundred year-round residents, which means I'll finally have a sense of community instead of feeling lost in a sea of strangers." He leaned the cane on the edge of the seat near the wall and folded his arms on top of the table. "You have to admit, this adventure is worthwhile. We've already come across amazing sites, not to mention the resort. It's so beautiful, just like the brochure promised."

"Including a perfectly nice restaurant and lounge," Armin teased. "But did we go there? No; we dumped our bags in the room, headed into town, and stopped at the first bar we came to."

Eren adjusted the scarf around his neck. "I wanted to get an immediate reaction here so I'd know for certain I've made a good choice. I swear I could feel the knot in my gut loosening the farther north we drove, but... But I still don't know if it's far enough."

Armin blinked in surprise. "Are you saying you're not _sure_? Eren, every worldly possession you didn't give away is right now on a truck headed for Ontario, and you don't even know if this is where you want to live?"

Eren turned in his seat to look around, taking not of the patrons thoroughly enjoying themselves, eating and drinking and dancing, then turned back to Armin. "I'm pretty sure." He gestured over his shoulder at the crowd. "They look like a nice bunch of hardworking and fun-loving folks to me, and the atmosphere in here is friendly." He leaned on the table again and lowered his voice. "And I'll bet they could't care less about what happens in Atlanta. This is my best chance for a real do-over, Armin."

"I hate to rain on your parade, Eren." Armin drawled, "but they probably get the national news in this three-car town. You know you can't run from your past any more than you can hide from it."

"Four years and a couple thousand miles is a damn good start." Eren sucked in a calming breath when Sitka sat up and rested his head on his thigh. "I have a chance to be my old self here," He said, rubbing Sitka's ear to soothe him. "So it won't matter if someone eventually does put two and two together, because instead of seeing a man to be pitied, they'll already have decided that I am _not_ a victim."

Armin smiled crookedly. "Actually, it's these poor, unsuspecting shucks I'm worried about, when they discover there's a backbone of steel hidden inside what only looks ilk a fragile man." He shook his head. "The good people of Ontario aren't going to know what hit them the first time you get an ache in your jaw about something. I just with I was going to be here to _see_- Wow," Armin whispered, sounding as if he'd been punched in the chest. His eyes widening as he stared past Eren's shoulder. He grabbed Eren's arm when he started to turn. "No don't look!" We can't let them think that we're interested."

"Them?" Eren echoed, grinning. "As in _male_ thems?"

Armin groaned. "Okay, you already know alcohol isn't my problem. I only need to get a whiff of testosterone to turn into a bar slut," he said, sliding further into the booth as he shifted his gaze past Eren again. "Throw in broad shoulders and a manly swagger and I can be talked out of my clothes father than a guy can say 'your place or mine?'"

The waitress set a heavy tray on the table. "Two scotches for you," she declared, setting two glasses filled with a golden liquid and ice cubes that clanked against the glass down in front of them.

"We didn't order appetizers." Armin said when the waitress set the platter between them.

"Bertholdt sent them, compliments of the house."

Eren shifted uncomfortably. "Does Bertholdt give free appetizers to all his patrons?"

The waitress tucked the tar under her arm. "It isn't what you're thinking, honey. Bert usually comps the first-timers if he thinks they're from the resort. Mount Rose has a live band on the weekends that we have to compete with, so he hopes you'll go back and tell the other resort guests that Bert's Bar and Grill is a right friendly place."

Eren relaxed, feeling bad for thinking the bar owner had been patronizing him. "Oh. Then tell Bert...um Bertholdt, thank you for us, will you?"

"Sure, honey. You need anything else, you just holler for Sasha."

"Wait," Armin said when Sasha turned away. "Can you give two single men far from home a little advice as to who's safe and who's not?" He flashed his winning smile. "I just spent four days cooped in a car, and my legs are in serious need of exercise." He waved towards the dance floor. "Are there any lechers out there we should avoid?"

"Well, now," Sasha drawled, "That would depend if dancing is the only exercise you're interested in."

Armin arched a brow while Eren sat back in his seat, astounded in the change of attitude his friend showed. "I guess that would depend on the guy." He leaned to the side to see past Sasha. "Like those two," He said, covertly pointing at the end of the bar. "If I were to ask one of them to dance, would I be risking life and limb?"

"Those two?" Sasha asked in surprise. "Hell, you don't mess around kissing a bunch of frogs, do you?" She shrugged. "If you don't mind dealing with brawn _and_ brain, the Smiths and Braun are good men."

Armin took a long drink of his scotch from his glass, emptying it of its contents and started to slide from the booth

"Hey," Eren yelped, reaching across the table to grab his arm. "You can't just walk over and ask one of them to dance."

"Why not? Sasha said they're harmless."

The waitress snorted. "Honey, calling the Smiths and Brauns harmless is like calling a tiger a pussycat. I said they're good men; I didn't say anything about them being harmless." She leaned down when the music stopped and lowered her voice. "The only complaint you'll get from any man or woman brave enough to leave here with one of them is that dawn arrives way too early." She looked at Eren then back at Armin and smiled sadly. "I suggest you gentlemen might want to start a bit lower on the food chain."

Eren groaned inwardly. Now she'd done it; Sasha might as well have just clanged the dinner bell. Nobody loved a challenge - especially one that involved men - more than Armin.

His friend actually rubbed his hands together. "Oh, I don't know," Armin started, eyeing the two men at the bar again. "I've always felt kissing frogs was a waste of time." His eyes suddenly widened. "Oh shit, they're coming over," he said, grabbing Eren's scotch and finishing that one too.

Eren gawked at his friend then ordered another round. After giving what appeared to be a sympathetic look, Sasha disappeared into the crowd. Eren played with his empty glass, only to notice his hands were trembling. It didn't help that Sitka had sat up again to rest his chin on his thigh, his heterochromatic eyes filled with concern. "I am going to kill you," he said as he gave Sitka a reassuring pat.

"Hey, you're the one looking for adventure," Armin countered, sneaking another peek at the approaching men.

"Baby steps, Armin," Eren reminded him. "I'm not sure I'm ready to deal with brawn _and_ brain. And by the look in your eyes, I don't think you're ready, either."

"What you're seeing is pure, unadulterated lust," Armin whispered, leaning on the table. "They're positively gorgeous."

"Then where the hell are they?" Eren asked, not daring to look. He sighed in relief. "They were heading to some other table, not ours."

"No, somebody stopped them to talk." Armin finger-brushed his hair back before settling back into his seat. "Okay, here they come. Put Sitka against the wall so they can sit down."

Not really sure how Sitka would react to two strange men invading their space, Eren nudged him over his legs. Oh god; he had thought he was ready for this, but his racing heart said differently.

"I can't imagine what Bert was thinking when he tucked you two way back here in the corner," a deep-timbered voice said from above him. "He usually likes to show off his handsome patrons."

Eren looked up, his smile freezing only half-formed when his eyes landed on the tall, blue eyed, broad-shouldered, clean-shaven man standing next to another equally gorgeous and no less intimidating giant.

Nope; he definitely wasn't ready for this.

"Would you gents like some company?" the second man asked.

Armin immediately scooted towards the wall. "We'd love some," he said as he motioned for Eren to do the same.

Sitka scrambled right across Eren's legs when he scooted over and planted his solid body between him and the giant sliding into the booth beside him. He immediately clamped his hand over Sitka's snout when the man reached down to him. "Just let him sniff you fingers," he instructed. "He's rather... Protective."

The guy gave a chuckle. "So I noticed. Is that part of his job description?" he asked, turning his hand palm up to tickle Sitka's chin as the dog sniffed his thumb.

"He sort of comes by it naturally," he said, releasing Sitka when he felt him relax again his leg.

"I'm Reiner Braun," the man beside Armin said. He gestured at the man sitting beside Eren. "And this is my half-brother Irvin Smith."

"You gentlemen decide Mount Rose's lounge is too tame for your liking?" Irvin asked, deciding to lead their conversation.

Eren stiffened. "How do you know we're staying at the resort?"

"I saw the two of you arrive this afternoon." His easy smile kicked up a notch. "I was leaving the parking lot in the side-by-side when you were unloading your luggage."

"Side-by-side?"

"The two-seater ATV. Mr...?" he asked, holding out his hand to him - much the same way he had to Sitka.

Well, since Sitka hand't bitten him, he shook Irvin's hand. "Eren Jaeger."

"Armin Arlert," Armin chimed in. "And Eren and I are just _friends_. So, do you two work at the resort?"

"Irvin does," Reiner said. "I'm in construction." He motioned to Sasha - who was already on her way over with their drinks - to come over. "Can we buy you two a drink?"

"We already have another round on the way." Eren said gently, smiling at Sasha as she handed him his scotch. It burned all the way down to his toes as he took a small sip of it.

Reiner caught Sasha's attention, "Another six scotches please."

Eren nearly choked on his drink, he shot a questioning look to Reiner.

"Don't worry your head, Eren. Another round for you two and four for Irvin and I to split. We can't let you two get ahead of us." Reiner's burst of laughter made Eren jump but he settled right back down and began chuckling under his breath. He really was paranoid.

"Order us up another sampler while you're at it, would you, only ask Connie to leave off the fried cauliflower and double the wings." Irvin requested.

Realizing Irvin and Reiner wee regulars here, Eren could't decide if that was a good thing or not, considering they appeared to be settling in for the evening. As soon as Sasha left for the drinks Reiner spoke up again.

"Where are you gents from and what brings you to the land of the ice and snow? If you're leaf peepers, I'm afraid you missed the fall foliage by over a month."

"Actually, Eren's moving here," Armin said. "And I'm just along for moral support. I have to planned on flying back to Atlanta at the end of the week."

Both men turned their gazed to Eren. "You have family here?" Irvin asked.

"No," Eren told them. "Well, my maternal grandmother war born in Ontario, but she moved to New York City when she married my grandfather."

"Ah, so you're both from Atlanta?" Reiner asked. "Because neither one of you has much of an accent."

"I'm originally from Sweden actually, my family moved around a lot," Armin explained, "we moved to Atlanta almost twelve years ago." He nodded at Eren. "He moved there around the same time my family did, although he's really a Germany boy."

"Ontario isn't exactly a bustling metropolis," Reiner said, looking at Eren. "Have you come here for a job? I can't think of any local business other than the resort with the clout to lure a city boy into the wilds of the mountains, unless you're an artist or a craftsman and plan to open a gallery."

"I'm neither. I was an officer after I got out of the army, I'm in the midst of getting transferred up here and if that doesn't work out I'll seek another place I can transfer to." Eren said. He felt his cheeks heat up when the two men turns to look at him with bright smiles.

"It's a rule of thumb in our family that all the men are to serve one stint in whatever branch they desire in the military. We both served for the army as well, Irvin just got out of his third stint last year." Reiner said his gaze switching proudly to his half-brother and then back to Eren. "Is that how you got your, uh injury?"

Reiner gave a sharp hiss and threw a severe look to Irvin who looked right back at him with an are-you-serious expression. The blonde mouthed 'what is you problem?' to the man Eren shared a booth with. Deciding to help Reiner out Eren cleared his throat.

"The accident occurred after I finished my four year stint in Afghanistan." Eren said softly, rubbing the back of his knuckles.

The subject dropped since Eren didn't offer anymore information than what he had, he could tell from the atmosphere that they'd expected him to shed some light but neither were about to pry any further.

Reiner gave a soft snort. "Well I'm sure Jean's lookin' forward to some more help around town, he's a family friend and the local sheriff. And while you're here, I hope you are aware that the snow here is measured in feet instead of inches and we get wind chills that reach forty below."

"And that you don't mind winters that last six or seven months," Irvin added. "So, are you planning on buying a place or renting?"

"I had hoped to buy a small house, maybe on the lake."

"We have a cousin who's a real estate agent," Reiner said, filching a cheese stick off their platter. "We could hook you up with her tomorrow if you'd like. Tell me what room you're in, and I'll have Annie come see you in the morning."

Eren shifted uncomfortably, suddenly feeling claustrophobic between the wall and Irvin's large body.

"Reiner knows better than to ask for you room number," Irvin soothed when he hesitated, shifting slightly away from him. "Annie can have the front desk call you room. That is, assuming you're ready to start house hunting."

"Ah...yes, I'd like that," Eren said before quickly taking a sip from his scotch.

Sasha showed up with their drinks. "Connie's backed up in the kitchen, so it'll be a few minutes before that platter comes out. I'd say you've got enough time for a dance," she added, shooting Armin a conspirator's smile when another slow tune started.

Confirming Sasha's claim that the Braun's had brains as well as brawn, Reiner stood up and held out his hand. "Would you care to dance?"

Armin slid from the booth before he'd even finished asking.

"How about you, Eren?" Irvin asked, although he didn't move.

Shit, was he really ready for dancing? He desperately wanted to feel another person's warmth around him again - even, or maybe especially, a stranger's - but then, he wasn't in any hurry to embarrass himself, either. Eren adjusted the scarf of his neck, finally deciding to take it off. He tried to ignore his insecurity about the large scar peeking up from his shirt collar.

"Um... I haven't...I'm not at all that steady on my legs sometimes."

Irvin lowered his head level to his. "I won't let you stumble."

God help him, the gentle timbre of his faint brogue already had him feeling weak in the knees. Still unable to look at him, Eren leaned back to glance under the table. "I don't know what to do with Sitka."

Irvin chuckled and stood up. "I'm afraid he'll have to find his own dance partner."

Eren took a fortifying breath, scooted across the seat, and stood up. "Stay," he commanded Sitka when he tried to follow. "You can watch me from right there."

Irvin took two steps and stopped well short of the dance floor, then turned. Eren hesitated only a second before stepping into his arms, which he gently closed around him in a loose embrace. Irvin slowly began swaying them to the music, and he lifted his hands to his broad shoulder and closed his eyes on a silent sigh. Maybe, just maybe, he was ready for this; unable to remember the last time he'd been this close to anyone who wasn't only interested in poking and prodding him. And suddenly Eren knew he'd made the right decision to stop physical therapy and simply get on with his life.

Irvin was a good head taller than his own five-eleven, which meant he had to be well over six feet tall. Large men usually made him uncomfortable - an affliction he hadn't had until four years ago - but Irvin had a way about him that seemed to put him at ease. Maybe it was the fact that Sitka had accepted him after only one sniff. Then again, maybe it was because he also thought Irvin Smith smelled nice. Sort of outdoorsy, like fresh air and the woods. And... Well, male.

He certainly was solid. He might imagine his shoulders were made of granite if they weren't so warm, and his hair - a bright, sun-streaked blonde - was short but there was definitely enough to grab. He was also apparently good for his word about not letting him stumble, and Eren soon found himself dancing as naturally as if he hadn't nearly lost the ability to walk four years ago. He could stay in his embrace all night, he decided with another sigh, resting his head against the crux of his shoulder.

As the song began to wind down Eren's leg began to feel numb and he stumbled against Irvin, who held him upright and smiled down at him. Eren blushed as he felt himself returning the smile.

"I'd offer to dance with you longer but I'd rather your protector not chew off my limbs if he saw you stumble again." Irvin's deep voice sent shivers down his spine.

"Yeah, we should probably get back. He looks about ready to have a fit." Eren smiled as Irvin led him back towards the booth, with a steadying hand wrapped around his waist.

They had settled back into the booth when Sasha was placing the platter next to the other, half-eaten one. She threw a soft smile to Eren as he hobbled back into his seat, pushing Sitka against it once more. Sitka rested his big muzzle on his thigh, seemingly throwing a glare to Irvin who'd slyly put his arm behind Eren's shoulder and engaged Eren in a deep conversation about their times overseas.

Soon thereafter Reiner and Armin shuffled back into the booth opposite of them where Reiner joined in on their conversation, Eren got Armin chatting about his career as a Nurse and how they'd met.

"When he told me he wanted to move to Ontario I was really surprised." Armin pointed his finger as he wrapped his hand around his scotch and finished it off. "What was up here, I wondered, why would anyone choose to live hundreds of miles north of nowhere? And now being here I can completely understand why he'd want to come."

"They'd want to come up here so they could get away from the loud noises, rude pedestrians and clouded atmosphere." Eren drawled before Reiner and Irvin could answer.

Armin put his glass back down "I told you alcohol makes me weird." he muttered, darting a quick glance at Reiner. "Except I'm beginning to think testosterone is the real culprit."

Eren groaned, and Reiner stood up with a laugh. "I believe I can cure that, let's dance."

Irvin decided Eren had probably had enough dancing for one night, as he'd noticed a slight tension creeping into his face that made him worry his legs might be paining him. Then again, it might have something to do with the text message he'd received a few minutes ago that he'd read but hadn't replied to. He suspected Sitka was also attuned to the subtle vibe he was giving off, as the dog had sat up and was resting his head on Eren's thigh again.

Irvin slid an arm on the seat behind him and leaned in close so he could hear him. "I won't consider it rude if you want to respond to your text," he offered.

He gave him an appreciative smile that didn't quite reach his eyes. "Thanks, but I'd rather not." His smile turned derisive. "Responding to Mikasa's constant requests for updates on my 'harebrained notion to move to Ontario' sort of defeats the purpose of _leaving _Atlanta, wouldn't you say?"

"Mikasa?"

He gestured dismissively. "An overly protective ex-sister-in-law."

Eren smiled at Irvin again, lowering his voice as the music quieted. "But thank you, it's thoughtful of you, I apologize if you thought I was focused on the texts more than you right now."

Irvin returned his smile, "Not at all. How long have you had Sitka?" He asked, effectively changing the subject.

He rubbed Sitka's ear. "He had two years of service dog school, with six months of it concentrated on his specialty." He snorted. "And then his handler spent a couple of months training me."

"Training the two of you to do what, exactly?"

Eren's face heated at the clearly unintentional euphemism Irvin had made, but then gave a negligent shrug. "Sometimes my legs just...get tired, and Sitka helps out by fetching things for me and stuff like that." He looked back to Irvin from Sitka. "I've tried to teach him to cook, but he insists on tasting everything first."

Eren could tell that Irvin didn't quite believe Sitka's role, but he didn't offer any more information. He was just thankful Irvin was the type to not pry into others' matters. He gave the appropriate chuckle. "I imagine the big man has quite an appetite, yet he hasn't once begged for a handout."

"Probably the hardest part for me was learning not to spoil him rotten by giving him treats. But he's been trained not to be distracted by food." Eren admitted looking a little guilty.

Sitka stirred beneath the table, whining as he began tugging on his leash to get Eren's attention.

"Now?" He whispered tightly. He gave Irvin an uncertain glance as he took hold of Sitka's face, but it was long enough for him to see his anxiety. "Are you _sure_?"

Sitka gave an equally anxious whine, and Eren straightened and stepped over to their table and grabbed his coat, scarf and cane. "Sorry, but I have to take him out. I'll be back in... About twenty minutes or less." He shot him another forced smile. "Sometimes he takes even longer. Sorry."

"I'll go with you."

"No!" He sucked in a deep breath, although he could see it did little to quell his growing urgency as he started scooting from the booth and towards the crowded dance floor. "I mean, thank you, but I don't... Sitka won't... He's shy, okay? We need to be alone."

Eren quickly deserted the tall blonde man at the booth and hurriedly walked out of the bar. As he pushed open the door Sitka was right there by his side, rushing him faster towards the car. He pulled at the handle to find the door locked.

"Safe place Sitka, s-safe place." Eren felt his knees give out as he slammed painfully onto the snow packed ground. His cane slid just out of his reach and Sitka licked at his hands and face, nosing him to get up and go.

Sitka's whine was the last thing he remembered before his vision blurred and horrible memory flooded his mind. Sitka settled on top of his body, his head tucked in the crux of his neck and his massive body absorbing Eren's jerking spasms as one of his hands curled like a claw, lashed out at the empty air.

His movements were defensive, as if he were fighting off tiny invisible enemies before Eren's body became completely still.

Eren's eyes slowly fluttered open again, his hair was stuck to his forehead but he wasn't sure what made it cling more the snow or his own sweat. He pushed himself into a sitting position, some of his muscles still spasming back into control. He froze with his hands on his face, a sob wracked his body and he found Sitka forcing his muzzle into Eren's arms.

"S-Sitka, you're the smartest, bravest dog in the w-whole world." He bit down on his trembling lip and heaved out a heavy breath. "I didn't hurt you, did I?"

The muffled crunch of boots alerted both him and Sitka of another person coming close to them. Sitka gave a low whining growl but it was cut short when Irvin appeared at the fender of the car parked next to Eren's own.

"Eren, are you okay?" Irvin's concerned voice pierced through the wintry air as he rushed to Eren's aide.

"Mm, fine. I fell on the ice trying to get a doggy bag from the car. Sitka's been coaxing me into getting up for a few minutes. Sorry to worry you, Irvin." Eren lied, reaching out for his cane only to be swept to his feet by two very strong arms supporting his back and knees.

Sitka whined as Irvin settled Eren back on his uneasy feet before retrieving Eren's cane from the dog that's stuck like a magnet to Eren's leg again.

"We'll have to get you some traction cleats if you plan on staying here. It gave me quite a shock to find you like that, how long have you been laying there." Irvin asked, giving him another look from head to toe.

"I can't really say, five maybe ten minutes. Honestly it didn't feel like it was all that long and I'm not feeling cold or numb anywhere. Well, other than my legs." Eren whispered the last part, rubbing the back of Sitka's ears to soothe him.

Irvin offered his praises to Sitka with a cautious pat to his muscled shoulder.

"Let's get you back inside, I know what'll help warm you up." Irvin guided Eren back to the building but as they were going back in the door pushed open and two bodies entangled with one another rushed outside.

Eren's eyes widened as he deciphered his friend in the mass and hid him smile successfully when the two recognize him and Irvin together.

"Eren!" Armin said in surprise as his eyes adjusted and he fixed his shirt. His face faded a deep red as he looked between Irvin and Eren then to Reiner and himself. "We were just... It's not... I was..." Armin sighed, and finished tucking his shirt into the waist of his pants. But then his eyes suddenly widened when he got a good look of Eren's snow plastered coat. "Eren, are you alright?" He stepped forward, reaching out to brush off the snow, his mouth was pulled into a thin line. "We'll talk later."

Eren cleared his throat and looked between Armin and Reiner.

"Oh, I was going to tell you that I'm going to have Reiner bring me back to the resort...later." He whispered, leaning more towards Eren and trying to seem inconspicuous.

Eren nodded and looked back to Irvin, he couldn't decide whether to wipe the smug, knowing, smirk off his face or Reiner's right now. "I'll uh, see you later Eren. Be safe."

"See you later, you too." Eren replied heading back into the bar with a slightly more noticeable limp than before. He stopped short when he noticed the booth they'd been sitting in had been occupied by another group of party goers. Irvin guided him by the small of his back towards the bar.

"We can finish our drinks at the bar." He whispered close to his ear.

"I think we should just call it a night." Eren declared, smiling up at him and patting him gently on his forearm letting his hand linger for a second longer than he should have. "But I had a wonderful time this evening, Irvin. Thank you." He gave his arm another pat, then turned and headed over to Sasha at the bar.

As dismissals went, Irvin decided as he followed, that was as good as any - if it had come from a married person. Irvin followed him to the bar, his eyes falling to look at Eren's defined buttocks that looked fantastic in his well-fitted dress slacks.

"Did you say Reiner paid for both bills?" Eren exclaimed, looking to be in a foul mood from the news. "Damn brutish man," Eren muttered before taking out two twenties and passing one off to both Sasha and the second to Bertholdt who looked shocked as Eren closed his hand over the money for him.

Sasha snorted, shoving the twenty in her apron. "Fat lot of good it did your friend," she said, shaking her head.

Eren laughed. "Did you ever consider that maybe Reiner and Irvin are the ones who should have made sure Armin and I are harmless? Because all us 'city folk' are taught from the cradle how to turn tigers into pussycats."

Eren visibly tensed when Sasha's gaze flickered over his shoulder. "He's right behind me isn't he?"

Sasha rescued him from the awkward moment, grabbing his forearm and dragging him down the bar - wrongly thinking she'd moved them out of earshot. "Then you better start thinking like a wilderness boy, honey." Sasha teased, "at least when it comes to Smiths, since Armin told me you're moving here." She leaned closer. "The Smith's and Braun's and just about every other dominant name around here are like one big Brutish clan, and are a good chunk of our population. And although their wives are real friendly, all the men are so old-fashioned it's scary, even the ones born here. So you might want-"

Irvin stepped over and took hold of Eren's arm before Sasha could do any real damage, and started for the door. "Thanks for the service, Sasha," he said with a wave over his shoulder. "I believe I'll walk you to your car, Eren, and then follow you to the resort to make sure you arrive okay. It's starting to mist, and it may freeze on the road."

"How much of that did you hear?"

Irvin stopped in the parking lot to face him, and folded his arms over his chest, accentuating the amount of muscle he really had. "Enough to wonder how many tigers you've turned into pussycats since you emerged from your cradle."

Eren strode off, forcing Sitka to break into a trot to keep up. "I was talking about...other people," he said when Irvin fell into step beside him. He fished his keys from his pocket and opened the back door of his black Ford Taurus AWD FFV. "So you don't have to worry; I'm so out of practice, I don't even remember the rules of engagement," he muttered distastefully, tossing his cane into the passenger seat.

Eren waited until Sitka had jumped into the backseat before shutting the door softly and reaching to open his door. Irvin caught Eren's arm, and slowly turned him to face him. He held Eren's jaw up with his index finger and tilted his head upwards.

"Perhaps all you're needing is a bit of a reminder," Irvin drawled, capturing his gasp of surprise in his mouth.

Eren went perfectly still, not resisting but not participating, either, it appeared as if he wasn't quite sure what was happening. Eren certainly tasted as sweet as he looked, and not ten seconds into the kiss Irvin began to worry that his own arrogance might end up ruining his chances of seeing him again. That is, until he felt Eren's hands slide up between them to settle on his chest; not to push him away, apparently, but to grip his shirt as if he were afraid he'd stop.

Not likely, and not anytime soon. He slid an arm behind his shoulders and tucked Eren's head in the crook of his elbow, dropping his other hand low on his back to pull him more intimately against his body. Eren's lips parted enough to allow his tongue to go in search of Irvin's, and Irvin felt him shiver. Then he felt Eren soften at about the same time he made a sweet sound that sent all Irvin's blood to his groin - which told him that if he didn't stop now, he might not stop at all.

He lifted his head to find Eren's bluish-green eyes staring up at him, unblinking.

"A friendly pat on the arm might be how you handle this sort of thing in the city," Irvin said, his voice sounding thick even to himself, "but in the wilderness, _that's_ how we say good night to someone we just spent the better part of an enjoyable evening with."

Eren's cheeks flushed. But when he still didn't move, Irvin decided to kiss him again. Only his heart nearly pounded out of his chest when he pressed a hand to his face and kissed him back - although hesitantly, as if he were worried his boldness might encourage him to ask for more liberties.

But Irvin came by his patience honestly, thanks to his highlander genes. And since Eren was moving here, Irvin was content to let him grow comfortable with him at Eren's own pace - assuming his sweet torture didn't kill Irvin first.

He heard Sitka's growing restless inside the car, which suggested the dog wasn't used to seeing his master wrapped in a man's arms being repeatedly kissed. Then again, maybe the big man was jealous. If that was the case, he'd have to make sure he and the dog came to an understanding. Irvin reluctantly lifted his head again, but only enough to first kiss one of Eren's burning cheeks and then the other before nudging him upright to stand facing him.

He started to say something but stopped, then tried again - only to drop his gaze to his hand, still clutching Irvin's shirt. His fingers unclenched and he started to give his chest a pat, but stopped mid-pat and chuckled.

Irvin bit back a laugh and opened his door, helped him inside and handed him his seat belt. "Welcome to Ontario, Eren," He said, softly closing the door.

* * *

Thanks for reading! I hope to update more frequently than my other fanfiction uploaded, feel free to leave your commentary, it is much appreciated.

-P.


	2. Home Sweet Home

A/N: I'd just like to say that Ontario, Canada was the first place that came to my mind when first setting up this story. I will honestly say right now that Ontario could or could not be the way I'm writing it out to be, I wouldn't really know. Is it possible to make a location OC? That sounds a little odd, even coming from me.

* * *

Eren lay in his hotel bed, staring up at the dark ceiling. He sat up slowly, achingly dragging his reluctant legs to the side of the bed closest to the window. He pulled open one of the curtains to stare out into the wintry morning, to where big fat snowflakes drifted past the parking lot lights. Eren grinned as the memory of last night resurfaced. It had been far too long since he'd last been kissed. Or be asked to dance. Or _almost_ get picked up in a bar.

His smile only grew wider as he pulled on his pajama pants and tugging on a grey, long sleeved shirt as he headed for the door, cane in hand. Sitka bounded off the bed hastily, following Eren as he headed for the lobby's stairs. Eren chuckled and patted his faithful companion on the top of his head.

"I was willing to let you sleep in today too." Eren whispered feigning exasperation as Sitka bumped happily into the lower portion of his thigh. The stairs were directly to the left of his room and Eren came to a halt at the top of the stairs to let a small group of overly excited children run past. Sitka sat as commanded by Eren when a toddler tugged at Eren's pant leg.

Eren looked down to find a small, sleepy-eyed little girl smiling brightly in Sitka's direction. She had a question formed on her lips when her mother rushed over to her side.

"I'm so sorry, sir. She doesn't know any better." The mother apologized quickly.

Eren lifted a hand and smiled at her. "She's alright ma'am, I'm assuming she'd like to pet my dog?"

The mother looked worriedly to the very large dog, then back to Eren as an unsure mother would. "Don't worry miss, he's a service dog, trained only to help me out. I promise he'll be the perfect gentleman."

The woman's shoulders relaxed almost at once. Eren kneeled down, hiding the pain from his expression as he did so.

"Let him smell you first kiddo, it's all a part of his training," he instructed both to the child's curiosity and the woman's motherly instinct.

The small child held out her hand, palm up as Sitka inched forward to smell the tiny tips of her fingers before licking her palm. She gave a sharp giggle and hugged Sitka around the neck. Eren smiled as he pet the back of Sitka's head in a soothing gesture. All too soon though the little girl was being carted off with many thanks and appreciative smiles from the mother as she rejoined the rest of her family downstairs in the lobby. She proudly explained what had stalled her as Eren slowly made his way down the flight of stairs.

Sitka more than once tried to get Eren to put his weight on him but his stubborn owner walked calmly down the stairs, nearly out of breath on the last one. Only then had he accepted Sitka's help and held onto his collar for support while using his cane for added stability.

"Stairs always kick my ass Sitka," he muttered under his breath as they entered the lounge. The dog whined at his side and he soothed down his fur, then commanded him to sit out of the way as he got his food. He plated himself a nice stack of pancakes, bacon, sausage and eggs before seating himself.

Sitka followed him to a two-person table and sat right beside his chair as Eren ate. He cursed when he reached for his forgotten drink and urged himself to get back up. Only to have a hand on his shoulder stop him.

"What can I get you to drink, Eren?" A deep, familiar voice asked.

He looked over his shoulder up to Irvin's too bright expression. He rubbed his hand over his stubble and grunted his greeting.

"Don't worry about it, I've got it. Thank you though." Eren pushed out his chair, slapping at Irvin's extended hand. "Don't coddle me."

"It was not my intention, Eren, politeness is engraved in my blood and if my father were to see me not try to aide you in the slightest he'd rip my arse." Irvin's grin widened as he turned to wave at an older version of himself. Eren covered his mouth to stop from laughing.

"You two look exactly the same, although he's got more hair around his chin." Eren commented and settled back into his seat. "Just this once, would you get me some orange juice and maybe some coffee?"

The utter relief that flooded Irvin's expression caused Eren's heart to sputter to a halt. Irvin gave Eren's shoulder a light squeeze before turning on his heel and heading for the drink station that was set up towards the entrance of the room. Eren looked down to Sitka whose gaze followed after Irvin.

"Aren't you supposed to alert me when someone approaches?" Eren inquired, lifting his brow. He finished off the last of his pancakes before Irvin returned with a clear glass and black mug, each filled to the brim with orange juice and coffee.

"I wasn't sure if you liked anything with your coffee so I grabbed some liquid creamer on my way back." Irvin admitted, setting the two cups down in front of him.

"Thank you." Eren whispered, "Please sit."

Irvin smiled and before he took his seat he placed a chaste kiss on Eren's cheek and rounded the table. Eren blushed a deep crimson before dropping his eyes down to his half full plate.

He took the seat across from him and Eren took the chance to give him a once over. He appeared to be wide awake and it was only eight thirty in the friggin' morning. Eren grumbled under his breath and shoved a bite of sausage into his mouth. He chewed it thoughtfully as his eyes continued to linger, Irvin wore dark, tightly fitted jeans with a blue and green flannel shirt.

"You look ridiculous in those colors." Eren said, breaking the silence.

Amusement pulled at the corner of Irvin's eyes as he inspected Eren right back. "Says the man still wearing his pajamas."

"I...touche," Eren mumbled, looking down at his attire. His silk black pajama bottoms matched his grey long-sleeved shirt well enough, he thought to himself.

"It was very sweet of you to let that little girl pet Sitka this morning. Though he looked absolutely spoiled when she gave him such a large hug. Makes a man jealous to see you so at ease too." Irvin said, resting his head against his palm thoughtfully.

"Back in Atlanta many parents perceived Sitka as a threat, especially when I used my commands. I felt happy when Sitka reacted so well." Eren felt obligated to explain to Irvin his feelings in that moment, "It's a good change Ontario is bringing both him and I, is all..."

"I'm glad you're getting comfortable. I told Annie to meet you here at nine," Irvin watched Eren's demeanor change completely and rushed on. "Finish eating, you have plenty of time. She knew I had yet to fill you in and I was just about to have the front desk call up to you when I spotted you on the stairs and decided I'd wait to see where you were headed."

"Thanks for the thirty minute warning." Eren teased, adding a few creamers to his coffee as he relaxed back into his seat. Eren inspected his quiet breakfast companion when a question popped into his head, "Are you going with her and I?"

"Sad to say, but no, I've got to get back to readying the slopes before the skiers head out for the day." Irvin replied, smiling when Eren's face fell. "But I'm sure Armin will go with you."

"He hasn't been back all morning." Eren mumbled, shocked when he felt two arms around his shoulders eagerly. He flinched before he smelled Armin's familiar shampoo.

"I'm back now, where are we going?" Armin asked curiously, pulling up a chair of his own.

Eren cocked his head to the side as he began inspecting his overly-happy friend. "You sure seem...happy."

"I had a good morning." Armin said with a blush.

"And a rather good night, I would suppose." Eren poked at his shoulder earning him a gentle flick to the shoulder.

Irvin pushed up from his seat right then, giving Eren a hundred-watt smile. "I'll see you later tonight for dinner?"

Eren's mouth ran dry at the unsuspected question and he kneaded his hands together on his lap. His lips pulled together as he searched for a reason to say no, but came up with nothing. He wanted to go no matter what shitty excuse he came up with. "Sure," Eren replied as Irvin rounded the table to stand before him.

"I'll pick you up in the lobby around five-ish?" Irvin pulled Eren's hand to his mouth and kissed his knuckles individually before holding his hand between both of his.

Feeling like a floundering fish Eren nodded and tried to mutter some intelligent goodbye as Irvin walked away carrying himself with a slight hop in his stride.

"You just made his entire week, Eren." Armin whispered from beside him.

Eren tried to hide his satisfied smile from his friend but ended up failing horribly. "And he mine."

Eren finished his coffee in no time at all, he offered the rest of his food to Armin. As Armin finished Eren's meal for him he looked his friend over proudly.

"What were you two talking about before I disrupted your conversation?" Armin repeated his earlier question.

"Oh, Annie's supposed to be here at nine. Which reminds me, I need to get showered, shaved and dressed in less than twenty minutes." Eren pushed up from his chair and grabbed his cane. "I'll be down in fifteen minutes, promise."

Armin gave him a thumbs up as his cheeks were stuffed with the sausage Eren hadn't eaten.

*.*.*

The farther down the narrow dirt road Annie drove, the further they travelled the more Eren was tempted to pinch himself to be sure that he wasn't dreaming. It had stopped snowing around nine, and the clouds had given way to a crystalline blue sky, the weak November sun causing the melting snow to glitter like diamonds. The lake on their right was stunningly dark cobalt blue with the gusty north wind pushing its massive waves into crests of brilliant white froth.

"You two must have made quite an impression on Irvin and Reiner last night," Annie said, darting a smile at Eren and then at Armin in the backseat. "Because when Irvin called me this morning not ten minutes before Reiner did, and I told them our cousin, Marco and his husband Jean just asked me to sell their house out here on Sina Point, both men told me _not_ to put it on the market until I showed it to you first. Actually," she said, smiling at Eren, "Irvin threatened that if I didn't sell you this house, he was going to write my phone number on the wall of the men's bathroom at Bert's."

"Nice cousin," Armin drawled from the backseat.

Annie laughed. "I told him he was too late, because I snuck in not a month after Bert's opened and wrote it next to the mirror myself."

"How's that been working for you?" Armin asked.

Annie shrugged. "I probably would have gotten more calls if I'd left off my last name. Apparently there's not a man living within fifty miles of Mount Rose who's brave enough to ask me out."

Armin took hold of Eren's seat to lean forward. "Why?"

"Because they're all afraid of my father and brothers and male cousins."

Armin flopped back with a snort. "You can't get a date because everyone's afraid of the _men_ in your family? You're joshing, right?"

Annie sighed, glancing over her shoulder at Armin. "I wish I were. Tell me: Last night didn't you find Reiner to a tad... Oh, let's go with _overwhelming_, shall we?"

"Overwhelming is an understatement," Armin said with a laugh.

"So are you saying you don't mind being hustled home, wondering what just happened?"

"He _told_ you we spent the night together?"

"Oh, none of my dear sweet cousins would ever kiss and tell. I saw you headed to the resort in Reiner's truck this morning."

"You're a real estate broker. What are you doing up so early?"

"I was going to my family's Christmas tree farm to help with this year's cutting. What, do you gentlemen think fir pitch is my choice of perfume?" Annie asked with a laugh. She darted a quick glance at Armin again. "And although I could see you were smiling, you also looked like a deer caught in oncoming traffic. So, back to your question as to why I can't get a date in this town. After spending time with my cousins," she said, glancing at Eren to include him, "what do you think the odds are that some guy is going to take an interest in me knowing they'll be watching his every move? And you, Eren, didn't you find Irvin to be old-fashioned and rather...proprietary?" He certainly didn't have any qualms about telling me where you should live."

Eren thought back to this mornings breakfast and said, "He is rather...insistent, I suppose."

"They both are," Armin agreed from the backseat. "But then, I sort of have a thing for large alpha males."

"And yet you usually dump them after only two dates," Eren drawled. "Right about the time the testosterone hangover hits you between the eyes."

"Exactly," Annie said with a laugh. "The very thing that draws us to manly men - namely their strength and confidence - also drives us crazy"

Armin gave a heartfelt groan. "The deadly combination of brawn and brain. Maybe we'd be better off going after only the brawn."

"Nope," Annie said, braking to a stop. "Trust me, that doesn't work, either. And neither does going after only brains." She shut off the engine. "Which has me seriously considering joining a covenant. Here we are, Eren" she said, leaning forward to gesture out the side window. "There's your new home."

Eren's heart started thumping so hard it hurt as he stared at the tan-colored, cape-style house sitting not a hundred feet from the lake, nestled beneath towering trees. There was a porch running across the entire front, the steps lined with pumpkins leading up to a bright red door decorated with a wreath of woven vines. Several mounds of leaves littered the lawn, some of the piles looking as if they'd been jumped in by the owner of the small wagon abandoned on the moss-covered brick walkway.

"It's perfect," Eren whispered, getting out - only to grab the door when a sharp pain shot through his lower back, making his legs buckle. But still he couldn't take his eyes off the vision of perfection in front of him.

This is the house, he thought to himself. In this house, on this lake, surrounded by all these trees and mountains and wildlife. This was his new home, he already knew it before he'd even taken two steps from the car.

"Eren?" Armin asked, scrambling out of the truck. "What's wrong?"

"I'm okay," He murmured. "Look at it, Armin. It's perfect. Why are they selling it?" He asked when Annie came around the front of the SUV.

"They built a new home farther up the lake," Annie explained, "and got moved in not a moment too soon. Their adoption was approved and their new addition to the family was added two months ago, a sweet little baby girl almost a year old."

The front door opened, and a man wearing an infant carrier on his chest stepped onto the porch just as a toddler bolted past him. "Auntie Annie!" The boy shouted, scrambling down the steps. "You come to buy my house!"

"No Walker," Annie said, scooping him up in her arms with a laugh, "I've come to _sell_ your house to this fine gentleman." She gave him a noisy kiss on his cheek. "So I hope your room is spanking clean."

"It's empty, Auntie." His gaze moved to Eren. "You got a little boy? He can have my room, 'cause I got a new one now."

"Nope, no little boy," Eren said, shaking his head. "But I have a dog that might like your room." He signaled for Sitka to jump out of the backseat. "His name is Sitka."

Walker's eyes widened and his grip on Annie's neck tightened. "He's awful big," he whispered. "Does he like little boys?"

"He does," Eren assured him, carefully bending to take hold of Sitka's leash and slowly straightening. "In fact, he'll even shake hands with you."

Walker immediately started wiggling to get down. "I want to shake his hand."

"Sit, Sitka," Eren commanded, positioning Walker in front of his dog. "Hold out your hand and say hello," he instructed as the boy's father rushed toward them. "Don't worry," he assured the obviously concerned man. "I know he looks big and scary, but he's a cupcake around children."

"Hello, Sitka," Walker said, holding out his hand.

Sitka dutifully lifted a paw and set it in his tiny hand, and Walker giggled when the dog licked his fingers.

Armin handed Eren his cane, his eyes focused intently on him. "You're in pain," he whispered tersely.

Using his cane for support, Eren unclipped Sitka's leash and signaled that he was free. "Why don't you show Sitka around your beautiful yard," he told Walker.

"We can look at the house tomorrow or the day after," Armin said worriedly, still eyeing Eren as Sitka and Walker headed for the nearest pile of snow-covered leaves.

Eren held out his hand to the homeowner, completely blowing Armin off again. "Eren Jaeger. And don't worry, I'm not leaving here without a signed purchase agreement."

The man gave a warm laugh. "Marco Kirschstein. And I have to say, you just one-upped me. At least I got _inside_ before I offered to buy it from the previous owners."

"Eren," Armin growled softly, looking directly into his eyes again. "Are you high on pain pills or something? You can't just buy the first house you see."

Eren barely caught himself from reminding Armin that they had both kissed the first men they saw last night. "No, I haven't taken any meds yet, you would know. But I think I better take something soon."

"If you're not feeling well," Marco said, falling in step beside Eren when he started up the brick walkway, "there's no reason we can't reschedule." He smiled over at him. "I promise not to sell the house out from under you."

Eren took hold of the railing and slowly making his way onto the porch, and having absolutely no intention of leaving until he owned this house. "I'm just a bit stiff," he assured Marco. "I fell last night trying to get something from my car. Scared the bejesus out of Irvin and Sitka too, I suppose."

Marco stopped in the act of opening the door. "He called and said that if I didn't sell you this house, he was going to tell my husband how I shamelessly used to bribe the boys to go out with me in high school."

Eren blinked at him and then at Annie coming up the steps. "Irvin's been threatening both of you into selling me this house? But why?"

"Because he's Irvin," Marco said. "And when a Smith male decides he wants something, he's not above using any means at his disposal to make it happen." He chuckled. "And Apparently Irvin wants you living here."

"But _why?_" Eren repeated.

"Because he knows it's a good house."

"And also because he lives just down the cove," Annie added, pointing past the end of the porch. "Well, his _stuff_ lives there," she said with a snort. "I think Irvin sleeps on the mountain more than he does in his bed."

Marco walked inside. "In fact, you can see his house from here, now that the leaves have fallen off." He turned once everyone got inside and held open the door. "Walker, bring Sitka inside and show him your old bedroom."

Walker scrambled up the steps and bolted past them without even looking up. "Come on, Sitka. I'll show you where you're going to sleep."

Only instead of following, Sitka stopped beside Eren and pushed his nose into his free hand. He gave him a pat. "It's okay, Sitka. Go play with Walker."

Marco walked toward the wall of windows facing the lake. "Come sit down, Eren. You can see most of the downstairs and the yard from here." He said directing Eren toward the large leather chair - which was the only piece of furniture in sight - nestled between the windows and a black enameled wood stove.

"No offense," Armin said, looking about the house, "but don't you two think it's a little creepy that a guy Eren just met only last night is so gung ho about him living just down the street from him?" He leaned against the wall, tucking his arms across his chest. "Where we come from, that sounds an awful lot like stalking." Armin looked up when his only answer was silence and found Annie and Marco grinning at him. He grinned back, albeit sheepishly. "I know he's your cousin and all, but from our perspective, you've got to admit it's kind of scary."

"Any scarier than leaving a bar with a guy you just met?" Eren asked, glaring across the room at Armin.

"Hey, Sasha assured us the men were harm-" Armin's cheeks turned red and he winced. "Touché. But we're not talking about me; we're talking about _you_ living in a strange town with only a dog for protection." He looked at Eren. "How many of the homes on this road are year-round residences? This place appears kind of isolated."

Eren carefully lowered himself into the chair, giving a sharp laugh to cover his pained groan. "I am perfectly capable of taking care of myself, Father Armin," he said before Marco could answer. "And I'm pretty sure Irvin has better things to do than stalk some man he just met. He probably has half a dozen _friends_ and likely isn't interested in juggling one more."

"Actually, he doesn't," Marco said, walking over with a paper cups he'd filled with water. "In fact, you're the first person we've seen Irvin take any real interest in since he came home from Afghanistan a little over a year ago."

"But that in no way means he's stalking you," Annie rushed to say, sitting down on the stone hearth. "Irvin's just..." She shrugged, looking at Marco.

"He's just being Irvin," Marco finished for her, patting his child's bottom when the infant stirred on his chest. "You tell him you're not interested, and I swear that'll be the end of it," he said, giving Armin a reassuring nod.

"Because more than being old-fashioned, all of the men in the family are noble to a fault," Annie nodded. "And if one of them did happen to go astray, there's an entire clan of men _and_ women to put them back on the straight and narrow."

"Especially the older generation," Marco continued, "with Irvin's father probably being the worst of the lot. Uncle Pixis is the living definition of an atavist." He shot Armin a smile. "So you really don't have to worry about your friend, because we all look out for one another here."

Eren was beginning to wonder if they really had blown in to another century.

"That'll teach you to be careful what you wish for," Armin deadpanned, rubbing Eren's shoulders. "You just traded a sea of strangers for an entire _clan_ of bossy men." He looked at Annie and Marco. "Only problem is, I can tell you from personal experience that when Eren gets an ache in his jaw about something, he tends to forget he's not ten feet tall and bulletproof. I actually spent over half an hour talking a physical therapist out of the janitor's closet once after the guy foolishly told Eren he was trying too hard."

"The idiot was supposed to be helping me _walk_ again," Eren defended, giving Armin another heated glare, "instead of just getting myself in and out of a wheelchair."

Ignoring him, Armin shot Annie and Marco a smug smile. "So you two might want to warn all the noble men in your family - especially Irvin - that Eren Jaegar is more dangerous than his dog."

Finally realizing Armin was so worried about leaving him here alone that he was trying to head off any potential threats, Eren burst out laughing. "They said Irvin was in Afghanistan, Armin. You think he's going to be scared off by a man with a cane and a dog?" He looked at Annie. "Irvin and Reiner mentioned something about all your men joining the army at some point."

Marco nodded along with Annie. "Whatever branch appeals to them, they serve it for one tour at least, some of our family's men and women have made it a lifelong career. Reiner flew Black Hawks in Iraq, and near as we know Irvin served three tours in the Afghan mountains as part of some secret elite team." He gave his baby's plump cheek a kiss. "It's about time you woke up, sleepyhead."

He headed off to the kitchen and came back with a warmed bottle in hand. He turned around, looking for a place to sit.

"Oh, here," Eren said, attempting to lever himself out of the chair. "Now I know why you kept this big comfy chair here."

"No, don't get up," Marco rushed to say, but Eren was already out of the seat.

"I'm barely twenty-five I don't need to be lounging about in a plush recliner, stealing away the comfort from a father trying to feed his child." Eren said gently, hiding the pain from his expression by forcing a smile to meet his eyes.

"What's her name?" Armin asked as Marco took his seat in the recliner.

"Sarah Kirschstein." Marco said, tucking his daughter into his arm and slipped the nipple of the bottle into his child's mouth. "I call her Jean's little coyote." He nodded at the doorway his son and Sitka had disappeared through. "And Walker is his little shadow. Annie, could you go check on them? It's awful quiet in there."

Annie jumped up from the hearth and headed into what looked like a short hallway just off the living area, only to suddenly stop and pull something out of her pocket. A flash went off, and then Annie walked back into the main room. "The little imp fell asleep, and Sitka is cuddled up beside him," she said, holding her cell phone down to Marco. She then walked over to show Eren. "That's quite a pooch you've got there."

Eren smiled at the picture of Walker sleeping with one arm wrapped around Sitka's neck, his dog resting his head on Walker's torso. "Oh yeah, Sitka is fascinated by children. I think they bring out his protective streak."

"And I think it's because their cute little faces are just the right height to lick," Armin interjected, looking down at the picture with a wide smile. He looked around the large living room and kitchen before leveling his gaze on Eren again, then sighed. "Nothing I say is going to stop you from buying this house today, is it?"

Eren merely shook his head.

Armin kissed the top of Eren's head before heading to the opposite end of the living room. "Then come on, Annie. Let's go check out the upstairs while these two settle on a price so I can see where I'll be staying when I come visit."

"It's a solid, comfortable house and everything works," Marco said once Armin and Annie disappeared upstairs. "There are one large and one small bedroom and a bathroom on this floor," he added, nodding toward the hallway, "with two large bedrooms and a bath upstairs. And we're leaving the four cord of firewood stacked in the shed, as well as the walk-behind snow blower. Um...except you might prefer to hire someone to plow you out. We've been trying to decide whether or not to leave the hot tub," he quickly rushed on, his cheeks turning pink as his gaze slid away from Eren's cane. "The garage is only a year old. It's not connected to the house, but it sure beats brushing a foot of snow off you vehicle." He gave Eren a curious look. "When Annie called this morning, she said Irvin mentioned that you're from Atlanta. You do know we measure snow in feet up here, don't you?"

"I'm actually looking forward to it." Eren fussed with his scarf, feeling his own cheeks heat up. "Do you suppose I could hire Reiner's crew to build a wheelchair ramp for...for in case I need it? Or maybe you could point me toward some other local carpenter?"

Marco looked down at his daughter, patting the infant's bottom. "I'm sure Reiner would be happy to put his crew to work. This is the time of year his business starts slowing down, since he's mostly into earthwork.

"Have you and your husband settled on a price yet?"

Marco nodded even as he gave Eren a sheepish smile. "The housing downturn hasn't really affected lakefront property all that much here." He then took a deep breath and named a figure that started Eren's heart pounding.

"Seriously?" Eren squeaked despite his best effort to hide his shock. But then he laughed. "Good Lord, you can't buy a small condo in Atlanta for that." He nodded. "Okay, then. You leave the hot tub, and I won't even try to haggle you down."

"Just like that?" Marco asked in surprise.

Eren pulled his wallet from his back pocket and fished out the pen caught on his unused checks. "My father's an architect, and he's always told me that you can fix anything on a house except its location," he said with a laugh. He leaned against the wall and wrote out his check quickly. "But he'd have a heart attack if he knew I was paying asking price and writing you a check on the spot, so let's keep this our little secret when he shows up in..." He smiled. "I give him and Mom two days to be standing on my doorstep from when I tell them I am the proud owner of a beautiful house on a lake in Ontario, which is why I'm going to wait until _after _I've moved in." He handed Marco the check and took another look outside before asking, "Are you and your husband sure about this?"

"Oh yeah, we're sure," Marco said thickly, holding his daughter against his shoulder as he burped her. "We've been worried that we'd have to heat two houses this winter." He stood up and walked to the counter and started digging through the basket of miscellaneous items before pulling out a set of keys. "I know we'll both have paperwork to fill out and the lawyers will need to do their thing, but as far as I'm concerned, the house is yours."

"So do I make the check out to you or to Annie's real estate company?"

"Make it out to Jean and Marco Kirschstein," he said, walking back to Eren. "We haven't actually listed it yet, so I guess this is a private sale. But don't worry, Annie and I will work out commission."

Eren finished writing out the check and handed it over to Marco.

Marco swapped out the keys he was holding. "You might as well take these now so you can come back and look around when you're feeling better," he said, tucking the check in his pants pocket. "You're going to love it here, Eren, because whether or not you realize it yet, you just bought a little piece of heaven.

*.*.*

The first thing Irvin noticed when he walked into the resort's massive swimming pool solarium was his father sitting on the footrest of a lounge chair, talking to someone reclining in another lounge facing the panoramic view of Mount Rose. The second thing he noticed was Sitka lying on the floor between them, wearing a rugged harness with a thick leather handle protruding from it. But it wasn't until he saw the sleek, low-backed wheelchair that he truly grew alarmed.

Sitka lifted his head, his tail wagging his whole rump in greeting.

"Maybe my son will have better luck persuading you," Pixis said when he spotted him.

"Eren?" Irvin asked as he rounded the chairs to stand in front of him, making sure to hide his concern behind his smile. Christ, he was as pale as a new snow but for the hint of red in his cheeks. "Have your legs gotten lazy on you this afternoon?"

"No, actually," he said, his chin lifting as his unusually bright eyes locked on his. "I aggravated an old injury when I fell last night."

"Which is why I was just telling Mr Jaeger that one of our people can take Sitka out for him in the mornings," Pixis said, his voice unusually soft.

Irvin could see how well that suggestion had been received, if the look in his old man's eyes was any indication. He dropped his swim bag on the floor and pulled over one of the wrought-iron end tables in order to sit at the foot of Eren's lounge chair.

"And I was just thanking your father," he said with equally evident frustration, "and assuring him that Armin and I have it covered."

Apparently deciding to ignore the edge in Eren's voice, Irvin's father folded his arms over his chest. "I was also telling the lad that we have a fine doctor here, and that it wouldn't be any bother for Christa Lenz to come take a look at him."

"To which I explained," Eren said through his forced smile, "that I swore off doctors two months ago."

Irvin dropped his gaze to hide his consternation, tempted to walk away and let the two of them duke it out; because truth be told, he wasn't exactly sure which one of them needed his support. Where Dot Pixis was legendary for his antiquated view that Eren needed looking after, Irvin suspected Eren Jaeger could give the old man lessons in stubbornness.

Sitka came to the rescue by standing up and trotting to the sliding door leading outside, where he stopped and looked back to Eren and gave a soft whine - which Eren answered with an equally soft groan. He gathered the catalogs and notepad off his lap and set them on the table beside him, then awkwardly started to get up.

Pixis touched his arm to stop him. "If your pet is needing to go outside, Irvin can take him," his father magnanimously offered. "Seeing how you just spent the better part of ten minutes getting settled into that chair."

"I'm sure your son has more exciting things to do than walk my dog," he said, attempting to get up again - even as his father once again stopped him. Frustration grew further evident on Eren's expression.

Uncertain if the fine sheen on his forehead was a sign that Eren was in pain or merely the result of trying to keep his frustration in check, Irvin stood up and went to the door. "I believe Sitka is capable of taking himself for a walk."

"Wait," Eren growled. "I swear Irvin, if you open that -"

Irvin opened the door and waved Sitka outside. "He won't wander far. Not while he knows he's on duty."

Eren gave a yelp of pain as he forced himself to his feet to glare at Irvin. Those brightened eyes burning with a heated anger that struck Irvin's funny bone and roused a loud laugh to escape him.

Sitka ignored the birds flapping away from the feeder that had been put up to entertain guests, he padded across the patio and down to the nearest tree, relieved himself, then immediately trotted back through the door Irvin was holding open. Eren had just rounded the side of the pool when Sitka came rushing up to him and began nudging Eren back into the nearest seat he could spot.

Irvin sauntered back to his bag, bringing over Eren's catalogs and other items to his new seat that Sitka had succeeded in pinning him into. Pixis stood up. "Well, for as much as I've enjoyed our visit, I'm afraid I need to be getting back to work. Irvin, see you later." He smiled at Eren. "And since I can't talk you into see Doc Lenz, maybe all you're needing is a toddy of hot cocoa and fine Scotch to cure what ails you. I'll send one over, along with some snacks," he declared as if he'd won the war, and left the room heading towards the lobby.

Irvin touched his arm when he started to protest. "Just say thank you, Eren."

Eren's lips thinned and he snatched his notebook from Irvin's extended hands. "Da doesn't realize you're on pain medication, Eren. And he'll go to his grave believing a healthy dose of Scotch cures _everything_. Trust me; sometimes it's simply easier to agree with him."

"What makes you think I'm on pain meds?"

"Oh, maybe those over-bright eyes of yours," he drawled, "or are you just that excited to see me?" He sobered when Eren snorted, and touched his arm again to get him to look at him. Eren ignored him and whipped opened the catalog he'd been scanning through all evening. "Hey," Irvin whispered, gaining Eren's attention at last. "You and my father would have argued all evening if I hadn't done what I did. Don't hold my good intentions as bad ones, Eren."

"I'm not mad, I'm just frustrated, and your father is a bull-headed man that sees no reasoning. It's like he thinks of me as an invalid, which I'm not. I was fine this morning. But over the course of the day my lower back muscles inflamed and now they're putting pressure on my...on an old injury. I'll be back to normal in a day or two." His chin lifted. "I'm not an invalid."

"I know you aren't. Da knows you aren't, it's just the way we are Eren." Irvin soothed, rubbing Eren's cheek. Deciding the conversation needed to change Irvin. "So is shopping your true medicine of choice, then?" he asked, kicking his smile up a notch when Eren's eyes narrowed. "Because I feel I should warn you that even on a good day, delivery trucks have a hard time negotiating Sina's drive."

Those expressive eyes of his went from defensive to surprised. "You already know I bought your cousin's house?"

He laughed and stood up. "Welcome to small-town life, Eren. Anyone within fifty miles of Mount Rose who doesn't know you bought Marco and Jean's house is either gone on vacation or dead." He picked up his swim bag and walked up beside him to blatantly read his list, where he'd written _long johns, turtleneck, thicker scarf, wood rack, snow cleats, and bird feeder. _"If you're shopping for winter gear, then I suggest a thicker coat. The one you have now is okay for indoors, very bad for outdoors though," Irvin said with a chuckle when Eren's chin lifted again. "You won't be the only person in town bundled up this winter."

Eren wrote down _heavier coat_. Irvin pointed at Eren's lap. "And you can cross that bird feeder off your list, because I intend to get you one as a housewarming present."

"But I don't-"

Irvin bent at the waist to bring his face levels with Eren's. "Say thank you, Eren."

"Thank you," he bit out, only to suddenly blow out a heavy sigh. "Look, I apologize for my grumpiness today." he said, giving him a derisive smile. "But at least now I know you come by your bossiness honestly. When your father walked by and caught me trying to get out of my wheelchair and onto the lounge chair, he strode in here like a house on fire and picked me up before I could stop him."

Irvin squatted on his heels beside him. "I'm sorry, Eren. I'll have a talk with him."

He set his hand on Irvin's arm. "Please don't. I know he was only trying to help, and I'd hate to hurt his feelings. It's just that... Well, it's important that I do things for myself." He nodded toward his legs, his grip on Irvin's arm tightening. "I've spent the last four years working my tail off to go from being totally helpless to finally being independent again."

"Is that why you've come to Mount Rose? You believe moving so far away from everyone will prove you don't need their help? Or are you trying to prove it to yourself?"

He started to pat Irvin's arm, only to stop and heave a sigh. "I _believe_ I've done that already. Now it's just the matter of making everyone else believe it. Go on, go for your swim," he said, waving him away as he picked up his pen and notepad, "while I finish medicating myself with shopping." He pointed at the patio when Irvin straightened back to his full height. "But just so you know, I want a bird feeder just as big as that one and a large bag of whatever birdseed the resort uses."

"Would you like me to have a little talk with all the birds as well, and tell them to head down to Sina drive?"

"Oh yes, I'd like that," he said, his smile sharp that it took all of Irvin's willpower not to kiss him - that is, until he pointed out the window again and scowled. "But when you do, you tell the blue jays and those big gray and black birds that they are _not_ invited to the Jaeger feeder. There, did you see that?" he hissed, pointing the pen like a sword. "Those big bullies keep driving off the little chickadees and finches. And then they scatter the seed while stuffing their mouths so full, it's a wonder they can even fly."

"What?" he said in mock horror, not even trying to hide his amusement. "You think because the jays are big and bold that they don't deserve to eat?"

"They're being gluttons."

"No, Eren. They're being jays. And see," he said, pointing at the patio under the feeder. "The mourning doves wouldn't get any seed if not for them, because doves are ground feeders."

"That doesn't mean they have to go around using their size to bully the others," he muttered, shooting the jays an evil eye - which had Irvin wondering if Eren hadn't been on the receiving end of a bully himself.

"I'll have a talk with them, then," he said with a chuckle, leaning down to give Sitka a pat on the head - just barely restraining himself from giving Eren a pat, too, before he headed toward the men's changing room.

*.*.*

Well, he might have a handful of ugly scars and have terrifying episodes, and his legs didn't always want to cooperate, but at least Eren knew there wasn't anything wrong with his libido. He took advantage of the fact that the four men in the pool were all underwater at the same time and fanned himself with his notepad.

Was there some sort of magical elixir in the drinking water around here, like a naturally occurring growth hormone or something? Because honest to God, every male he'd met so far was well over six feet tall. Hell, he had estimated Mike Zacharius to be over six foot six before he'd dropped to his haunches beside him and introduced himself as Annie's oldest brother. The golden eyed, soft-spoken man had welcomed Eren to Mount Rose, told him he was smart for buying Marco and Jean's house, and offered to send for Doc Lenz is he was needing a doctor - to which Eren had sweetly thanked him but politely declined.

Then, not five minutes after Mike disappeared into the changing room, Reiner had walked into the solarium accompanied by Bertholdt, who was competing with Mike for the position of being the tallest motherfucker Eren had ever laid eyes upon - how he hadn't noticed this fact last night was beyond him. After a moment's hesitation upon noticing his wheelchair Reiner greeted him with a warm smile.

Yep, there had to be something in the drinking water if all that gorgeous brawn and old-fashioned brain splashing around in the pool was any indication. No wonder Annie couldn't get a date; it would take either a very brave man or suicidal idiot to mess with any female belonging to one of these... Families.

"Eren," A soft voice called to him and brought him out of his stupor.

He looked up to find Armin walking to where he sat, a look of worry engraved on his face. "Is your back still hurting you?" Armin was careful to keep his avoid low enough so that the four men, who had chosen this moment to resurface from the water, didn't overhear them.

"It's better now, I think. I haven't moved in a while though and the pain killer wore off about thirty minutes ago." Eren admitted, trying to give his friend a reassuring smile.

"...Eren, can I ask you something?" Armin kneaded his thumbs together.

Eren nodded immediately. "Anything Armin."

"What if I transferred to the hospital here in Mount Rose?"

Eren's eyebrows disappeared into his bangs as he gaped at Armin's sudden question. "I think that'd be great Armin. Are you sure you'd want to though, I mean you've been against me coming here since I found that brochure in the mail months ago."

Armin shrugged and sat on the empty space of Eren's chair. "I'll admit, I was too hasty to judge. Being here, seeing you this happy again, it's like a breath of fresh air. I just want to be here to see you return to your old self again."

Eren smiled at his old friend, "I have a four bedroom house with very thick walls if you don't mind living with a cripple with night terrors." Eren tried to lighten the conversation but his humor was ill timed. "But really Armin, I'd love for you to move here with me, even if you'll only be living with me for a short while."

"You're too sweet for your own health." Armin smiled, bringing Eren into a big hug - though he was all too careful of Eren's back. "I'd better go track down a moving company and send for my things, shouldn't I?"

Eren nodded with a pleased smile and mentioned the moving company that's supposed to arrive later that day at his newly owned house. Eren grinned inwardly and closed his notepad, feeling much more relieved now that Armin was staying with him instead of returning to Atlanta all alone.

He pulled himself from his seat, ignoring the protests of his stiff back. He grabbed his cane for support as Sitka stirred to his feet beside him. The wheelchair was forgotten as he began to pace, back and forth. Though he wasn't using this time to think, but more to kick his body back into shape. He'd completely forgotten about the four swimmers that were no longer swimming, but had propped themselves up on the ledge of the pool to watch his shaky movements.

Sitka nudged him as he began to sway too far to his left side and he quickly corrected himself. "Thanks Sitka." Eren whispered with an appreciative smile.

"Don't push yourself too hard, Eren." Irvin's stern tone entered his thoughts and he looked up to find that the taller blonde man had launched himself out of the pool and was standing in his way, most likely under the pretense of catching him before he'd stumbled and fallen again.

"I'm alright doing the bare minimum. At least I'm not jumping and hopping on one leg." Eren smiled as Irvin's expression turned to horrified concern.

"I'd rather you not injure yourself further..." Irvin's voice dropped off.

"I'll see you for dinner tonight. Meet me at my place, I'm moving my bags there this evening." Eren smiled, pulling Irvin's face down to his level using the taller man's neck as leverage. He placed a chaste kiss on Irvin's lips before stepping backwards and heading for the door, snatching up his stack of papers and pushing his wheelchair out of the room, leaving Irvin in a daze.

* * *

Thanks for reading, this chapter was quick to write since I was on a role. Don't expect every update to be as soon as this one was, but I had felt pretty strong to get this second update out there. Let's see what Eren and Armin have in store for next update hmm?

-P.


End file.
